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An exercise to prune and cut down old indigenous trees along the N2 in Gqeberha has raised a flurry of protest.
A Herald reader who called in on Tuesday said she was incensed initially because she thought the trees were protected milkwoods.
“It seems they’re not milkwood, but they are indigenous, and by all accounts they’re very old.
“For what reason would they be doing this?
“It really makes me upset. We have to save our trees.”
When the reporter visited the area, there were half a dozen trees felled or hacked back on the north side of the N2 in the few kilometres between Cotswold and the Kempston Road off-ramp, and several more on the other side.
Speaking on site, Aluza Force Maintenance team leader Brenda Manele said they were doing what they were instructed to do by Rainbow Civils, which had sub-contracted them.
Rainbow Civils road safety officer Unathi Peter then arrived.
He said his company had been contracted by the SA National Roads Agency (Sanral).
“Sanral took us to each tree and told us how they wanted it — either cut down or cut right back.
“I believe it is to do with making sure their cameras can see properly, and there are no branches in the way.”
Dave Allan of Treeman said that, of the photographs he had seen, the trees being felled and hacked back were indigenous Natal wild figs.
“It is not a protected species, but there seems to me no need to remove and cut them back the way it’s being done.
“If it’s to do with cameras, there are surely many options, including moving the camera or just trimming the tree enough to remove obscuring leaves and branches.
“We’ve got to stop removing and damaging trees at the slightest excuse.”
The Eastern Cape chair of the Dendrological Society, Lloyd Edwards, said both Natal and common wild fig trees were a familiar presence in Nelson Mandela Bay.
“The two different species each rely on a different kind of wasp to survive and reproduce.
“The figs the trees produce provide food to a wide variety of birds and other wildlife, and different parts of the tree were used in traditional Xhosa culture to make drums and compresses and to treat sore throats.
“The Natal and common wild fig trees are not protected species, but they are a really special part of our world here in Nelson Mandela Bay, and it seems a great shame to destroy or damage them unnecessarily.”
Questions were sent to Sanral and the department of forestry, fisheries and environment, but no response had been received by the time of publication.
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